Raiders camp in SoCal is 'full circle' moment for head coach, LA native Antonio Pierce

This is the 30-year anniversary of the final days of the Los Angeles Raiders. A time Raiders new head coach Antonio Pierce remembers well.

Pierce grew up a Raiders fan. He was four years old when the Silver & Black moved from Oakland to LA. And they were his team for his entire childhood.

In the 30 years since then, the Raiders headed back to Oakland and Pierce embarked on a journey to the NFL and to becoming the head coach of the team he grew up watching.

Then this week, when the team landed in Southern California for training camp — just 30 miles from where Pierce grew up — it all came rushing back to him.

“When the plane hit the tarmac I smiled. It felt good for me to be home,” said Pierce Tuesday as his Raiders team reported to camp.

“Being the head coach of the Raiders is special. Having my first training camp back in Los Angeles, Southern California area is really special to a degree for me because it’s full circle. I grew up watching the Raiders from ‘82 to ‘94 in Los Angeles. And to have the opportunity to bring the organization back here and to do is as a head coach, I’m honored.”

Pierce and the Raiders will be in Costa Mesa for the better part of three weeks. They arrived this week and head back to Las Vegas in 17 days. Through that time it will be a new journey as a head coach combined with the nostalgia of his journey to the pros as an LA Raiders fan.